Today is Day 5 of The Great Flu's bi-monthly visit. I don't know if it's the Bangalore weather or the pollution, but this cough-cold-fever thing is so cyclical and alarmingly punctual that I dread the whole thing. First LG gets it, then I get it and we both are cranky and down for a good 10 days before resuming normal life. The whole saga of no-eating, puking, refusing to gulp down medicines, spiking temperatures, middle-of-the-night trouble breathing, erratic sleep patterns, and most importantly doing it alone with The Seniol away is getting on to my nerves.

After nearly 24 hours of no food intake, I somehow managed to get LG eat two slices of Pizza. Definitely not my choice for a healthy food, but who cares when your child hasn't eaten anything for so long and is so averse to the sight of food. I'd better not start on how many times I've had to trash soup, boiled vegetables, khichdi, and other stuff in general. I believe the worst is over and we're inching towards normalcy.

Any of you out there with some practical advice or alternate medicine to improve our immunity? I know it's the pollution that does us in, and I'm not sure how to tackle that!

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comments:

Hi LG's mom,I feel sad that you and your son are falling sick quite often.You are right;immunity and the environment has a great part to play.I would suggest first of all avoid taking lot of medication regularly,it should be only in extreme cases.bangalore weather had some hidden disadvantages, one doesn't perspire a lot, it is damp thus a breeding ground for a lot of infections and then there is lot of pollen in the air only worsened by vehicular pollution.I think being tough from within is essential hence.Increase intake of foods rich in Vit C and minerals such as zinc ( basicallya s much fruit as possible),outdoor games help you acclimatize better,encourage the kids to go out and play in the sun and get dirty at times in the mud and sand..trust me it helps!You can get a list of the desi nuskhas from a host of websites;alternately tonics like Chavanparash might prove beneficial.Use pure almond oil ( Dabur or Hamdard Rogan badam shirin)..massage a bit on nose and forehead and also add a few drops in milk frequently to get long term benefits.

My daughter goes through the same thing every 2 months. But, ever since I started her on Ayurvedic immuno meds, she seems to be perking up. Also I noticed that the water in my apt is not that great. So I use RO/UV water when brushing her teeth, washing her mouth and so on. It does seem to have made a difference.

I also suggest making the child wear a thin 'banian' under his/her dress, as this protects the chest. That has worked marvellously for my child. Good luck.

Thanks Shyvee. My son does wear a vest. The water here too is pretty bad. He is now going through another spell of cough because he drank the tap water for fun just to tease us; it was too late to get it out.